The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-04-05
FORGER KISSANE'S CAREER.
A Wonderful story of Successful Crime.
New York Times.

A Wonderful story of Sucees sful Crime.
New York Times.
Way back in the tifties there was or
ganized in this city an extensive gang of
men who had reduced the forging of
wealthy mems names TO "A science and
who for a long time made the opening
of bank accounts very risky means of
saving money. These rascals were to
the last degree adroit and clever in their
manner of working and long defied the
law. After thousands of dollars had
been gathered into their joint treasury,
however, three of the fOrgers-and two
of them happened to be the chief con
spirators-did a little piece of work in
November, 1854, which was clever but
not quite clever enough, and they We're
gathered into the meshes of a legal net
thrown about them.
Bill kissane, Lyman Cole, and An
drew Findlay, the men arrested, were
| indicted for forgery in the first degree
| in having obtained S6,O1S from the
| Chemical Bank on forged check. and
| again for having beaten the American
| Exchange Bank out of SI2 900 ON another
| forged check. The case was dilly-dallied
| with by District Attorney Oakley Hall,
shifted from one court to another, and
| Cole and Findlay We're finally, for some
| reason. allowed to 90. kissane, less
| fortunate. was convicted in the Court of
General Sessions. and brought before
| Recorder FaIlon for sentence. The Re
cOr,ier hal determined, he afterward
| said to impose the full term of five
years Imprisonment, but when arranged
| kissane, then a sprightly young man,
| made such an able address for leniency
| pleading his youth, his character. and
presented all hls points with such elo-
uuent force that tht. Recorder. affected
by the harangue, reduced the intended
sentence To one of two years and six
months. of this, the enterprislng fOrgtr
served but nine months. when by some
| influence, the Governor was brought TO
grant a pardon. and he was released.
He left the prison, apparently a changed
| a good man. During his imprisonment
he mad gained the friendship of every
official about the place. He was gem
ial. wonderfully gifted young fellow, and
when he left them the prison officials
predicted for him a great and honorable
career.
For some wears after this no one in this
part of the country heard anything about
the ex-forger. He had gone West. and
that was all that was known of him.
But at the beginning of the civil wal
there was a report which reached New
York that Kissane had somehow strnck
it rich in Ohio and was doing a rushing
| business in steamboats, plying between
points along the Ohio River. Hardly
had this report been digested in New
York-his forging exploits had won him
a name and everybody had known him
or of him-when another and far differ
ent report came bowling along. \ big
= steamboat. the Martha Washington, 4
. | part of which Kissane owned, had beer
| burned to the waters edge at "A wharf
and the circumstances suggested incen
diarism. The boat was heavily insured
| too heavily, IL was thought kfssan,
was arrested, but after long investigation
. the authorities failed to get any detinit,
proof. and he was finally discharged.
He disappeared again, but after laps'
of further years turned up in rather 1
l | startling manner away out in Missouri
A | He had made home in little settle
4 | ment in that State. and as a farmer haa
' | begun to get along beautifully. when al
? unfortunate thing occurred. One of hi
: neighbOrs one day had the temerity, no
? | knowing the pushing kissanes record
p to quarrel with him and to denounc'
t him for his par, in a questionable none,
: transaction. Early ON the following
Y morning this incautious manor rathe
5 his bOdy-was found peacefully lying a
> his front door "a bullet hole through hi
u head, and not much that was valuabl,
i remaining i'm his establishment. Kissane
f when they went to look for him, had re
: newed his old trick and had disappeared
i | tti- Ol
= have not laid eyes upon him.
e This disappearance was more of a last
n ing one than either previous departure
?. and it becomes the mission of the pres
t IN this city To make 1t appear that TIN
q willy kissane's last and final disappear
q ance into the uncertainties of the hereai
r ter is vet to be made. Before that gen
= tleman has made his first bow before a
II admiring audience in this city he had
I f.4lN h.gFT
Is Ohio. His was an excellent. respecte
l. family, and young kissane WAS give
e every possible opportunity To improv
e his mind and 10 prepare for successft
L struggle for fame and fortune In thl
q he was apt "a pupil that, when still
\. youth. he had identified himself som,
> what unpleasantly i'm the burning dow
a of the establishment of Mr. Francis Oar
IS Kissane had gone into business. Dal
was his successful rival. and Darrs plao
was DESTROYED.
The promising young man went Eas
Darr staid at home and cherished a n
membrance of his rival. When the n
beIlion broke out Darr joined the Unio
army and fought his way up to the ran
II of General. At its close he went in busine-
in New York and,remained here for,year
occupying quite a prominent position ;
q, a merchant. Some wears ago, hOweve
=, he determined to go West. and bein
II somewhat Of a civil engineer he went
= California. There he became intereste
= in mines. and after a time accepted
II position as engineer to one of I'll
l.. biggest mining corporations in the Stat
p One day he went 10 a meeting OF Il
10 Board of Directors. Among them
a. found the former rival whose memory
10 had industriously cherished during 4
- the intervening years
p He asked the rivals name. and IL W:
in told him. He never had heard it befor
A. but .'Kissane" he knew was susceptb
to many and subtle changes. Kissane |
M any other name-couldnt entirely VII
:. out his record. Inquiries led tn the di
covery by Gen. Darr. that kissane, u
Tn der his new name. was one of the nc
of est men in San Francisco ami of Il
an most respected. He had been engage
nd in some of the largest financial transa
lie tions made in the country, and w
a. looked up To as an able financier.
ed truly was. He lived in a magnificel
We house i'm Oakland, was married. and